My Will
by Chicken Yuki
Summary: This is what you get when a whole town won't stop meddling with people's love lives: The thoughts of a ranting and rambling Gray. Oneshot.


_**Disclaimer: **__How are you gentleman!_

_All your Harvest Moon belong to Natsume & Marvelous Interactive. _

* * *

**My Will**

Never in my life until now have I ever thought so much about something.

It's because the village is like this towards me that it feels like fate itself, maybe even the Harvest Goddess, is conspiring against me.

Why?

Why the hell are they forcing me to court that girl?

Just because I actually made up with that girl after a little outburst?

Is it just because I happen to be a guy and she's a girl that they assume things?

Frankly, I'm surprised by now they don't assume I have a thing for Ann considering all the torture she puts me through.

I don't know anyone on my side except for some of the guys that are actually into her.

Grandpa, Ann, Doug, Manna, and even Karen and her folks are all trying to push me towards Claire! A bunch of these folks have made their call and it looks like the rumors have made it to every corner of town. The only one who hasn't caught on is old blondey herself.

"Claire, Claire, Claire!" They sound like idiots.

It's because she's all sunshine and sugarplums, isn't she? It's because the lot of them see the city girl as the "Little Miss Perfect" who's tough as nails like Ann, but as sweet and caring as Elli. Sure she has a bunch of qualities to her, but then they keep on forgetting that not everyone has the same taste. It's like she has a whole lot of "style" going for her without the kind of substance I like. And what's the fun of food that "looks" good when the taste doesn't live up to your expectations? Maybe Kai or Cliff will enjoy sinking their teeth into that sort of thing considering how much they talk about her.

Besides, if they wanted to go into opposites, why didn't the villagers go out of their way of trying to hook me up with Popuri? She's practically the one woman in this town that's the furthest away from my way of thinking as you can get. Ha, it's probably because they all still saw her as a child. In any case, that ship has sailed a long time ago since she got hitched to that crazy colleague who stayed with Saibara and me a couple of seasons back. Mitchel, was it? Not that it really matters…

I just wished everyone stopped forcing the issue on me for once. With Ann's constant get-together scheming, Grandpa's forced "scheduling" and Manna's Rumor Machine of a Blabbermouth, I'm not getting much of a break out of this. Hopefully Kai or Cliff will finally make their moves in time to take the heat off of me before the village conspires an arranged marriage with that girl.

And if Claire ends up caught in the whole mess herself and is just as sick as the notion, I guess I'll have to really start feeling sorry for her; Maybe even more so on the off-chance that Hell froze over and she actually does feel something for me. I heard once heartbreak hurts like a bitch to a girl.

I may not be in love with blondey, but she did become my friend. I at least owe her that much sympathy.

In any case, today's that day, isn't it?

The day I return that novel to Mary and tell her what I think because I told her I finished it the other day?

Good grief…

I won't lie to her: it's great. A whole lot better than anything I could come up with, and still much better than any of the stuff I've read.

This isn't flattery, that's the truth.

But the butterflies I'll be feeling in my stomach when I tell her probably won't make it convincing to her.

I don't even understand how in the world how she can even talk to me so calmly while I'm stammering like a total idiot. Grandpa would probably chew me out even worse if he saw me with a reduced backbone. And Ann wouldn't spare me an inch. No, it has to be the smartest girl in the town, who could easily look down upon some dirty hick like me, to be the one person to have that sort of patience with me.

And man does her kindness not help with my stammering. I think it just makes it worse. I mean, what the hell am I suppose to do when my heart starts pounding like that? I'm no actor! I can't just suddenly bring myself to act like the proper gentleman she deserves! Since when has my name and "gentleman" been used in the same sentence without the addition of either "Claire" or "Sarcasm"? Never, that's when!

With that, I'm a bit surprised that I never heard any rumors about me…and Mary… being together. None whatsoever. But the sad thing is I may no why.

No one really hangs out at the library.

Nobody else really bothers visiting it during open hours except me.

I've always noticed that.

Am I her only friend, then?

I don't hear much about her from anybody except from Mary herself.

It's like she's the town ghost, like she doesn't exist except to her own family.

I suppose I could bank some of my hopes on that farmer girl, as she did tell me she'd get around to meeting everyone in town as soon as possible, but I shouldn't get my hopes up that they'll be instant "gal pals" or whatever.

Maybe I should be relieved that the town isn't butting in on whatever it is between Mary and me?

It still doesn't change the fact that this lack of visibility for Mary worries me from time to time.

It's only natural as her one close friend, right?

Yeah, her one close friend that she smiles to so much that it makes him feel funny.

Because a good friend will make you feel funny by behaving oh-so-very calm… and lady-like… and beautif---

…

I have a book to return before someone tries to set me up again!

And here I go!

…

Should I maybe tell Mary my thoughts when I return the darn novel to her?

Aside the thoughts about the novel, I mean?

…

This is going to be a long day; just in a different way than usual…


End file.
